On March 7, 2011, a discussion titled “Al Shabaab Vacate Garbahaareey and Ceelwaaq. Luuq falls” was taking place in the Somali Net Forums. One discussant nicknamed union wrote: “Manshallah this is great news. Baardheere will be liberated soon and the capital is expected to be shabab free within weeks. To those who doubted the will of the TFG in vanquishing shabab, this is the day you should hang your heads in shame. Onwards to victory”.[1] In response, another discussant nicknamed IRONm@N wrote that “hardly anything change in Bardheere in the last 3 centuries. The Bardheere Jihad of 2011 between Ahlu Sunnah [Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah] and Shabaab isn’t so much different than the Bardheere Jihad of 1843”.[2]

Then, the same discussant went on and described the Bardheere (Bardera) Jihad of 1843. He wrote that “the Baardheere Jihad was between the Baardheere Jamaaca (jama’ah, religious settlement) and the Geledi Sultanate. The war was for political and religious domination of southern Somalia. Both sides had wide support and claimed religious mysticism and political control. The historical event is very well known in southern Somali history and is a world known event. The war ended with the Baardheere Jamaaca being destroyed and the city of Baardheere being burnt to the ground”.[3]

In addition, the same discussant also described the Baardheere Jamaaca. According to him, “the Baardheere Jamaaca was established in 1819 on the upper Juba river. The jamaaca would end up founding the city of Baardheere. The jamaaca was founded by Sheik Ibrahim Hassan Jeberow a native of Dafeed. Sheik Ibrahim was refused to practice his reformist ways in Dafeed and relocated to Baardheere to start his reformist Islamic jamaaca. The Baardheere jamaaca started out as a small jamaaca with less than 100 believers. It steadily grew in number and influence”.[4]

Almost two years earlier, in the same Somali forum, a much more comprehensive account of the Baardheere Jihad was posted on June 25, 2009 by a discussant nicknamed Akbar 20. This account was written by Professor Lee V. Cassanelli in his book titled “The Shaping of Somali Society: Reconstructing the History of A Pastoral People, 1600 – 1900”, and was then posted in that forum.[5]

This article aims at shedding light on the Baardheere Jihad which was the first encounter between an Islamist reformist movement and the Sufis in Somalia.The Baardheere Jamaaca (Jama’ah)

The first Somali Jihad occurred around Baardhere (Bardera) in southern Somalia as a confrontation between the Baardheere religious settlements, or the Baardhaare Jamaaca (Jama’ah), and the Geledi Sultanate at Afgoye.[6]

Baardheere was founded in 1819 by Sheikh Ibrahim Hassan Yeberaw. Sheikh Yeberaw was born in Dafeed, a town located in southern Somalia in the Benaadir (derived from the Arabic word bandar, i.e., port, and encompasses the Somali southern coast, including the cities of Mogadishu, Merka, Brava, and Kismayo) region, between Afgoye and Bur-Hakaba. When he returned from the Hajj to Meccah and al-Madinah to his home town, he wanted to establish there a reformist Jama’ah, but was refused. Then, he decided to imitate Prophet Muhammad, made a hijra from the Somali coast to Baardheere (Baar means “palm tree” and Dheere means “tall”), which is located in the hinterland on the Jubba River, in the modern-day province of Gedo, and established his Jama’ah there.[7]

According to the Historical Dictionary of Somalia, Jama’ah in the Somali context is “an agricultural settlement, founded by a religious leader of one of the major Sufi orders in Somalia: Qadiriyya, Ahmadiyya, or Salihiyya”.[8]

This unique Somali Sufi religious institution has several characteristics. First of all, since the Jama’ah was an agricultural settlement, its communities spread widely in the riverine areas of the Jubba and the Shabeelle rivers in southern Somalia whereas they couldn’t exist in other regions in Somalia because climatic conditions and the pastoralist structure of society did not encourage agricultural settlements. Indeed, “colonial records indicate that in the 1920s there were more than 50 jama’a in former Upper Juba with a combined membership of 30,500, 30 in Banadir with a membership of 2,880, four in Lower Juba with a membership of 760, and eight in Hiran with a membership of 1,001”.[9]
Secondly, the Jama’ah communities were comprised of “groups of followers who were chiefly somalized Bantu together with outlawed members of Somali tribes”, who were ready to settle down and work in agriculture.[10] To be even more specific, according to the Historical Dictionary of Somalia, “membership in a jama’a, has historically been derived from young male celibates and theoretically was voluntary and cross-clan. Lineage, however, was a factor with some jama’as and generally a man joined his father’s order. New members underwent a formal initiation ceremony during which the order’s particular dikri was celebrated. Members gave the oath of allegiance to the jama’a and swore to accept the head of the branch as their spiritual guide (Ijazah)”.[11]

Thirdly, the Jama’ah institutions provided its members “a sense of community, a masjid (mosque), a duksi (Qur’anic school), a common land for farming, and a shelter”.[12] In the framework of the Jama’ah institutions, the land was owned by the whole community and the sheikh of the Jama’ah assigned each follower with his specific duties of work on the land and care of livestock. Sometimes, the sheikh of the Jama’ah allotted a specific portion of the land to a particular follower to cultivate, but more generally he divided the fields into six groups, while allotting each member to work in each group one day a week. Thus, these religious institutions “constituted a new hierarchical system that substituted kin lineage with the chain of the order Silsilat al-Tariqah”.[13]

Fourthly, these institutions were established very often in an area between the territories of two rival clans. Thus, they not only provided a buffer zone and served as instruments of conflict resolution between the warring clans, but also took advantage of tribal disputes to extend their holdings and had often been a cause of friction with nomadic tribes over questions of watering, boundaries, and tribal allegiance.[14]

During colonial times, the Jama’ah institutions played several roles. First of all, they “became safe havens for runaway slaves and outcasts”. Secondly, they played a much bigger role than just being religious communities by serving as “anti-colonial forces struggling against Italy”, which “also fought against colonial collaborators, such as salaried chiefs and those enrolled in the colonial services”. Last but not least, “it is also evident that modern Somali political organizations had their origins in the Jama’ah institutions”.[15]

Of these Somali Islamic institutions, the earliest and most famous was the Baardhaare Jama’ah. It should be mentioned in this context that the doctrinal orientation of both Sheikh Yeberaw and the Jama’ah which he established is not totally clear and highly disputed. Whereas Dafeed sources claim that Sheikh Yeberaw was affiliated with the Ahmadiyyah Sufi Order[16], Ioan M. Lewis claims that “it is not entirely clear that the sheikh’s doctrinal orientation was directly associated with the Ahmadiya Order”[17], J. Trimingham argues that Sheikh Yeberaw’s doctrinal orientation as well as the nature of the Jama’ah which he established were associated with the Qadiriyyah Sufi Order[18], and Lee V. Cassanelli mentions that despite the fact that “several early European explorers identified the Baardheere Muslims as Wahhabis… it is possible that Baardheere was from the beginning an independent religious congregation with no specific tariiqa (order) affiliation, or one which incorporated radical Muslims from different tariiqas, as Massimo Colucci suggests”.[19]

Yet, Sheikh Yeberaw’s reformist zeal was totally clear. Sheikh Yeberaw introduced in his newly established Baardheere Jama’ah some reforms and began to implement some elements of Islamic Shari’ah aimed at purifying the Somali Islamic faith. Thus, he introduced an Islamic dress code for both men and women, requiring women to wear the veil; he outlawed chewing tobacco and qat and abolished the ivory trade because of his belief that elephants were unclean animals; he opposed tawassul(intercessory prayer through saints), faith healing, fortune-telling, and popular dancing, especially where it involved women and men mixing. Furthermore, Sheikh Yeberaw’s Jama’ah followed a strict interpretation of the Qur’an, avoiding the permissive qiil(local interpretation of the Shari’ah law) readings.[20]

The Baardheere Jama’ah was self-sufficient economically and developed its own administration and army. The Jama’ah was composed of six sections, which elected leaders in consultation with the ulu al-amri (the one in charge, the supreme authority) of the Jama’ah, who could only be elected from the people of Baardheere. The ulu al-amri was always a direct descendant of the Jama’ah’s founder and was advised by the section leaders representing the Jama’ah’s diverse membership. Sheikh Yeberaw died in 1836 and was succeeded by Sheikh Ali Dhurre, who was the organizer of the military apparatus of the Jama’ah, which helped it face considerable hostility from the surrounding tribes.

Since its foundation, people from all parts of Somalia had sought religious learning at Baardheere. Indeed, from its modest beginnings in 1819 as a retreat for fewer than one hundred followers, the Baardheere Jama’ah grew steadily in numbers and influence. It drew adherents from a great many Somali clans; at its peak in about 1840 the movement probably counted twenty thousand supporters.[22]

It is important to note that in Somalia, the title “sheikh”, designating a wadaad (man of god) of superior learning, does not mean a political leader. The role of religious teachers and leaders was to mediate between man and God and between men. The sheikhs were assumed to stand outside secular rivalry and conflict. However, in practice, religious figures have become directly involved in fighting. This tension between the men of religion and the Somali laity can be resolved when recourse to arms is being done in the name of a religious cause.[23]

And this is exactly what happened during the 1830s, when the Baardheere Jama’ah spread its influence in most of the inter-riverine region between the Shabeelle and the Jubba rivers. In the mid-1830s, the Baardheere Jama’ah decided to expand its sphere of influence to the surrounding clans and, thus, entered a militant phase, first under Sheikh Ali Duure and Sheikh Abiker Aden Dhurow then under Sherif Abdirahman and Sherif Ibrahim. They fought the Oromo Borana to the west of the Jubba River, they conquered farming settlements to the southeast of Baardheere, they attacked and destroyed the trading town of Luuq on the Jubba River to the north, and, finally, in 1840, they extended their rule to the coast, conquering the villages of Baidoa, Molimad, and the coastal town of Baraawe (Brava), the historic seat of the Qadiriyyah Order, forcing its inhabitants, who appealed to the Sultan of Zanzibar for protection, to submit to the new regulations and to pay an annual tax.[24]

It is not clear whether the Sultan of Zanzibar sent forces to help the inhabitants of Baraawe or not. But, it is important to mention in this context that by the middle of the nineteenth century, the southern Benaadir coast as a whole recognized the suzerainty of Zanzibar, especially after the Omani dominions were divided and Sayyid Said moved his capital from Muscat to Zanzibar in 1840. Yet, the sultan of Zamzibar’s power was vague and uncertain compared with the direct influence exerted by the Geledi Sultanate in the lower Shabeelle, which dominated the hinterland for about 100 years, from the end of the eighteenth century to the end of the nineteenth century and the Italian colonial rule. Yet the Sultan of Geledi did not generally dispute the Sultan of Zanzibar’s position, and the two sultans were friends and maintained between them a delicate balance of control over the Benaadir.[25]

However, it is clear that the expansion of the Baardheere Jama’ah upset the Sultan of the Geledi at Afgooye, near Mogadishu, who in this period was the major leader in southern Somalia. The Sultan of the Geledi was nominated from among the Goobroon linage. The Goobroon lineage had traditionally held a position of social pre-eminence because of the formidable mystical powers conferred on it, which were based on the religious prestige of their sheikhs. For this reason, the Goobroon had historically held power among the Geledi and related clans, producing a line of autocratic rulers who wielded authority in extensive areas of the Shabeelle basin.[26]

Thus, the conquest of the coastal town of Baraawe by the Baardheere Jama’ah was a very significant event since at the time Baraawe was a noted center of Sufi learning and the historical seal of the Qadiriyyah Order, where the then Sultan of the Geledi, Yusuf Mahamud Ibrahim (d. 1848), had studied.[27]Therefore, seizure of Baraawe challenged the religious power of the Sultan of Geledi. Moreover, the Baardheere Jama’ah curbed the lucrative ivory trade, which was a major source of income for the local population residing in the region at that period, as well as threatened their traditional way of life.

Therefore, it is no surprise that the conquest of Barrawe and the dramatic success of the Baardheere Jama’ah provoked a concerted response from the clans of the inter-river areas under the charismatic leadership of the Geledi Sultan. The Sultanate mobilized an expedition force of 40,000 from all clans, and after a few days of siege, stormed Baardheere and completely burned it, while all its inhabitants were killed or fled. With the deaths of Sherif Abdirahman and Sherif Ibrahim in battle, the first instance of jihad in southern Somalia and in Somalia in general came to an end. [28]

Summary

The Baardheere Jihad was the first example in the history of Somalia of the clash between militant reformist Islam and Somali traditional Sufi Islam. Since then, militant Islamist reformism has appeared several times in Somalia’s history. The main examples are the movements of Sayyid Muhammad Abdullah Hassan, al-Ittihaad al-Islaami, Islamic Courts Union, and al-Shabaab. All these movements have aimed, among other things, at the purification of local practice of Sufi Islam. However, its activities have also affected regional politics and evoked regional intervention, which have ended up in large-scale regional conflict and destruction.

The Baardheere Jihad also served as the first event in the history of Somalia in which certain Islamic scholars led internal fighting to gain politico-religious hegemony. Indeed, it was a conflict between the rising power of Islamic reformists and the established traditional power of the Geledi Sultanate. Thus, it constitutes a precedent for current Islamic militancy and extremism in Somalia. It offers lessons that doctrinal differences and political ambitions may develop into violent wars under the leadership of charismatic and ambitious religious scholars.

It also illustrates the long running struggles within Islam in Somalia. The circumstances of the Baardheere jihad reveal, among other things, the diverse social forms that Islamic culture could generate and the radically different views that Somali Muslims could hold of their world.

Still, this conflict has not been well researched and there are a lot of gaps in our knowledge of it, which if and when filled, may give us the opportunity to draw a fuller picture of this Jihad and its significance. Such gaps are, for instance, the Sultan of Zanzibar’s role in this conflict; the organization of the Baardheere Jama’ah’s administration and army; the biographies of the sheikhs of the Baardheere Jama’ah; the doctrinal orientation of Sheikh Sheikh Yeberaw and the Jama’ah, etc.

Finally, in the context of the history of Islam in the African continent as a whole, one may look at the Baardheere Jihad and see some similarities with the Jihad of Othman dan Fodio in West Africa, who died only two years before the hijra of Sheikh Yeberaw and the establishment of the Baardheere Jama’ah in 1819. The main similarities are the imitation of Prophet Muhammad, making a hijra and establishing Muslim rural enclaves in the countryside, which were a defiance of the legitimacy of the political authorities as well as the purification of local practice of Sufi Islam. Both in West Africa and Somalia, these Jama’ah institutions developed into important centers of learning as part of an expansion of the Islamic educational system into the countryside.

In my point of view, the Baardheere Jihad, although taking place in Somalia away from the other Jihadist movements of the day in West Africa, cannot be disconnected from these movements. Therefore, the best way to look at it and tell its story will be not only on the particular background of the history of Somalia and the development of Islamic reformist doctrines within Somalia, but also on the general background of the penetration of Islamic reformist doctrines into Sub-Saharan Africa as from the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century and the clash between this kind of Islam and the traditional Sufi African Islam which ensued thereafter starting in West Africa and Somalia and expanding into other parts of the continent.

Bardera City (Arabic: بااردىرآ‎, Somali: Baardheere) is an important agricultural city in the Gedo region of Somalia. It is the second most populous town in the Juba Valley, with Kismayo being the largest and most densely populated city in the region, Garbahaarreey serving as Gedo's capital. Bardhere is mainly inhabited by the Mareehan clan (Sade confederation).

"And this is exactly what happened during the 1830s, when the Baardheere Jama’ah spread its influence in most of the inter-riverine region between the Shabeelle and the Jubba rivers. In the mid-1830s, the Baardheere Jama’ah decided to expand its sphere of influence to the surrounding clans and, thus, entered a militant phase, first under Sheikh Ali Duure and Sheikh Abiker Aden Dhurow then under Sherif Abdirahman and Sherif Ibrahim. They fought the Oromo Borana to the west of the Jubba River, they conquered farming settlements to the southeast of Baardheere, they attacked and destroyed the trading town of Luuq on the Jubba River to the north, and, finally, in 1840, they extended their rule to the coast, conquering the villages of Baidoa, Molimad, and the coastal town of Baraawe (Brava), the historic seat of the Qadiriyyah Order, forcing its inhabitants, who appealed to the Sultan of Zanzibar for protection, to submit to the new regulations and to pay an annual tax.[24"

""Therefore, it is no surprise that the conquest of Barrawe and the dramatic success of the Baardheere Jama’ah provoked a concerted response from the clans of the inter-river areas under the charismatic leadership of the Geledi Sultan. The Sultanate mobilized an expedition force of 40,000 from all clans, and after a few days of siege, stormed Baardheere and completely burned it, while all its inhabitants were killed or fled. With the deaths of Sherif Abdirahman and Sherif Ibrahim in battle, the first instance of jihad in southern Somalia and in Somalia in general came to an end. [28]"

Takeaways:

There were still Oromo on the west bank of the Jubba after 1830. The river was a limit more than a resource. It was the inter-river area that was under control.

Bardera and Geledi split control of the interior South 1830-1840, with Bardera taking control of the interior trade routes and pushing for access to a port. Had they been successful, this would have given Bardera a dominant position and threatened everybody else in the South.

Baraawe appealed to the Sultan of Zanzibar, not the Geledi.

The inter-river clans and the Banadir, with the probable approval and support of Zanzibar, all threw their support behind the Geledi, just as the same groups would later support the Biimaal against the Geledi when Sultans Yusuf and later Ahmad also tried to seize their own port and dominance in the South. The clans united to prevent any one clan from getting too much control. I think I sense a pattern here.

"And this is exactly what happened during the 1830s, when the Baardheere Jama’ah spread its influence in most of the inter-riverine region between the Shabeelle and the Jubba rivers. In the mid-1830s, the Baardheere Jama’ah decided to expand its sphere of influence to the surrounding clans and, thus, entered a militant phase, first under Sheikh Ali Duure and Sheikh Abiker Aden Dhurow then under Sherif Abdirahman and Sherif Ibrahim. They fought the Oromo Borana to the west of the Jubba River, they conquered farming settlements to the southeast of Baardheere, they attacked and destroyed the trading town of Luuq on the Jubba River to the north, and, finally, in 1840, they extended their rule to the coast, conquering the villages of Baidoa, Molimad, and the coastal town of Baraawe (Brava), the historic seat of the Qadiriyyah Order, forcing its inhabitants, who appealed to the Sultan of Zanzibar for protection, to submit to the new regulations and to pay an annual tax.[24"

""Therefore, it is no surprise that the conquest of Barrawe and the dramatic success of the Baardheere Jama’ah provoked a concerted response from the clans of the inter-river areas under the charismatic leadership of the Geledi Sultan. The Sultanate mobilized an expedition force of 40,000 from all clans, and after a few days of siege, stormed Baardheere and completely burned it, while all its inhabitants were killed or fled. With the deaths of Sherif Abdirahman and Sherif Ibrahim in battle, the first instance of jihad in southern Somalia and in Somalia in general came to an end. [28]"

Takeaways:

There were still Oromo on the west bank of the Jubba after 1830. The river was a limit more than a resource. It was the inter-river area that was under control.

Bardera and Geledi split control of the interior South 1830-1840, with Bardera taking control of the interior trade routes and pushing for access to a port. Had they been successful, this would have given Bardera a dominant position and threatened everybody else in the South.

Baraawe appealed to the Sultan of Zanzibar, not the Geledi.

The inter-river clans and the Banadir, with the probable approval and support of Zanzibar, all threw their support behind the Geledi, just as the same groups would later support the Biimaal against the Geledi when Sultans Yusuf and later Ahmad also tried to seize their own port and dominance in the South. The clans united to prevent any one clan from getting too much control. I think I sense a pattern here.

Nobody got Bardera.

Click to expand...

Interesting. Apparently, Sultan Yusuf and his 40 thousand Digil forces liberated Barawa and destroyed Bardheere, re-opened Luuq trade and Sultan Yusuf became the new political and religious leader in the region. The only southern Somalis that refused his leadership and authority were Bimaal. Bardheere eventually came under control of Geledi Sultanate, you even once said Geledi controlled Gedo. Also, remember when you denied Geledi Sultanate having presence in Lower Jubba? Did you know Geledi Sultanate and Bimaal Sultanate were competing their dominance in Lower Jubba?

"in 1840, they extended their rule to the coast, conquering the villages of Baidoa, Molimad, and the coastal town of Baraawe (Brava), the historic seat of the Qadiriyyah Order, forcing its inhabitants, who appealed to the Sultan of Zanzibar for protection, to submit to the new regulations and to pay an annual tax.[24"

Interesting. Apparently, Sultan Yusuf and his 40 thousand Digil forces liberated Barawa and destroyed Bardheere, re-opened Luuq trade and Sultan Yusuf became the new political and religious leader in the region. The only southern Somalis that refused his leadership and authority were Bimaal. Bardheere eventually came under control of Geledi Sultanate, you even once said Geledi controlled Gedo. Also, remember when you denied Geledi Sultanate having presence in Lower Jubba? Did you know Geledi Sultanate and Bimaal Sultanate were competing their dominance in Lower Jubba?

Yusuf did not have 40,000 Digil troops. His forces were a coalition that included support from the Banadir and included the Biimaal. He lost against the Biimaal and was killed when his former allies switched sides after it appeared he was becoming too powerful.

Notice the competition for control of the South. Here it was split at least three directions: Bardera, Geledi and Biimaal, with Zanzibar always in the background.

The Boran Oromo were on the west bank of the Jubba. Geledi ruled northeast of Afgoye, Bay, Bakool and Gedo. They didn't control anything on the Jubba south of Bucale. Bardera burned Luq and seized the interior trade. Geledi took it back in 1843 but lost the whole kit and kaboodle five years later when they lost to the new coalition put together by the Biimaal. No one single group controlled all of the South until the Italians.

Yusuf did not have 40,000 Digil troops. His forces were a coalition that included support from the Banadir and included the Biimaal. He lost against the Biimaal and was killed when his former allies switched sides after it appeared he was becoming too powerful.

Notice the competition for control of the South. Here it was split at least three directions: Bardera, Geledi and Biimaal, with Zanzibar always in the background.

The Boran Oromo were on the west bank of the Jubba. Geledi ruled northeast of Afgoye, Bay, Bakool and Gedo. They didn't control anything on the Jubba south of Bucale. Bardera burned Luq and seized the interior trade. Geledi took it back in 1843 but lost the whole kit and kaboodle five years later when they lost to the new coalition put together by the Biimaal. No one single group controlled all of the South until the Italians.

Click to expand...

Sir, it would be honourable if you could just be honest for once. I just gave you the source stating that they were 40 thousand Digil forces and Bu'ale is in middle Jubba, yet Geledi Sultanate also had a presence in Lower Jubba according to the sources.

Let's not forget Geledi Sultanate was a federation of Rahanweyn clans led by the Gobroon dynasty (Geledi leadership). According to this source tells you Geledi ruled from Luuq to Mogadishu as far as south of Barawa so basically further south passing Barawa. Most of Lower Shabelle was actually under Geledi Sultanate except for Merca.

Remember when you were talking about Gosha? Did you know they were slaves of Jiddu and Dabarre clans in Lower Jubba that worked on Jubba plantation and did you know these two Digil sub-clans I mentioned were part of an alliance federation under Geledi?

It tells you Gosha did not own any land in middle Jubba or lower Jubba but they were slaves working for Rahanweyn on the plantation to help boost the Geledi Sultanate economy. It also tells you Gosha were Bantus that came through the port of Barawa and Merca but I remember you arguing with you and telling me they were natives and had their own Sultanate. We all know that is pure bullshit and you made that up. I'm not going to insult you but I just don't like liars.

Here were it says Gosha were slaves from Kenya that were collected and brought into Somali ports like Merca and Barawa and they were brought into Lower Jubba to work on the plantation for Rahanweyn.

Here is a source telling you Lower Jubba was dominated by Digil sub-clans who were part of Geledi Sultanate. By the way, if you read my other link at the top tells you Rahanweyn were governed by the Geledis and I also showed you Lower Jubba also had Geledi governance so you cannot deny it.

It tells you how Gosha were nothing but slaves working for Somalis specifically Rahanweyn.

Sir, it would be honourable if you could just be honest for once. I just gave you the source stating that they were 40 thousand Digil forces and Bu'ale is in middle Jubba, yet Geledi Sultanate also had a presence in Lower Jubba according to the sources.

Let's not forget Geledi Sultanate was a federation of Rahanweyn clans led by the Gobroon dynasty (Geledi leadership). According to this source tells you Geledi ruled from Luuq to Mogadishu as far as south of Barawa so basically further south passing Barawa. Most of Lower Shabelle was actually under Geledi Sultanate except for Merca.

Remember when you were talking about Gosha? Did you know they were slaves of Jiddu and Dabarre clans in Lower Jubba that worked on Jubba plantation and did you know these two Digil sub-clans I mentioned were part of an alliance federation under Geledi?

It tells you Gosha did not own any land in middle Jubba or lower Jubba but they were slaves working for Rahanweyn on the plantation to help boost the Geledi Sultanate economy. It also tells you Gosha were Bantus that came through the port of Barawa and Merca but I remember you arguing with you and telling me they were natives and had their own Sultanate. We all know that is pure bullshit and you made that up. I'm not going to insult you but I just don't like liars.

Here were it says Gosha were slaves from Kenya that were collected and brought into Somali ports like Merca and Barawa and they were brought into Lower Jubba to work on the plantation for Rahanweyn.

Here is a source telling you Lower Jubba was dominated by Digil sub-clans who were part of Geledi Sultanate. By the way, if you read my other link at the top tells you Rahanweyn were governed by the Geledis and I also showed you Lower Jubba also had Geledi governance so you cannot deny it.

It tells you how Gosha were nothing but slaves working for Somalis specifically Rahanweyn.

Now you're foaming brown at the mouth. Your link doesn't have the critical pages 47-63, but you should have done better than you did with this:

Page 64:

The slave trade began about 1825 and slaves were escaping into the Lower Jubba by 1840. They settled at first among speakers of their own languages, but all but the Mushunguli later adopted Maay. By 1875 the Gosha villages had begun to coalesce and by 1890 they were able to defeat the combined Ogaden clans and keep them away from the river. Nassib Bundo had treaties with the British, Zanzibar, the Tunnis and Baraawe. He claimed to be, and was recognized as, Sultan of the Gosha. Only the Italians beat him.

The children referred to in your quote above were recently enslaved in the 1870s, had escaped and were making their way into the Upper Gosha in the 1880s, which by then was a totally different ballgame. The area of enslavement was mostly in the Middle and Lower Shabelli and the Jubba was available because it was only sparsely inhabited by the Boni. Early on, the Oromo still held the west bank and the camel clans avoided the Gosha because of tsetse.

Keep in mind that the Lower Jubba is larger than just the Gosha and that settlement moved up the river from Yontoy. The Dabarre are stretched between the Jubba and Shabelli and don't approach either the river. or the Gosha settlements in the Lower Jubba.

The slave trade began about 1825 and slaves were escaping into the Lower Jubba by 1840. They settled at first among speakers of their own languages, but all but the Mushunguli later adopted Maay. By 1875 the Gosha villages had begun to coalesce and by 1890 they were able to defeat the combined Ogaden clans and keep them away from the river. Nassib Bundo had treaties with the British, Zanzibar, the Tunnis and Baraawe. He claimed to be, and was recognized as, Sultan of the Gosha. Only the Italians beat him.

The children referred to in your quote above were recently enslaved in the 1870s, had escaped and were making their way into the Upper Gosha in the 1880s, which by then was a totally different ballgame. The area of enslavement was mostly in the Middle and Lower Shabelli and the Jubba was available because it was only sparsely inhabited by the Boni. Early on, the Oromo still held the west bank and the camel clans avoided the Gosha because of tsetse.

Keep in mind that the Lower Jubba is larger than just the Gosha and that settlement moved up the river from Yontoy. The Dabarre are stretched between the Jubba and Shabelli and don't approach either the river. or the Gosha settlements in the Lower Jubba.

The Gosha farmed for themselves.

Click to expand...

Firstly, Rahanweyn lost a lot of lands in Jubbaland so showing me a map of their current territory is meaningless. Everybody knows about the Darood expansion against the weakened Geledi Sultanate. By the way, not only Dabarre were mentioned but Jiddu and Garre were also mentioned which are Digil sub-clans and last time I checked Digil are Rahanweyn who were part of the Geledi Sultanate.

This source tells you exactly that Geledi Sultanate and Bimaal Sultanate were competing for control in Lower Jubba meaning they had some form of governance there and it shouldn't be surprising since Rahanweyn sub-clans dominated Lower Jubba.

Nassib Bundo himself was a slave until a local Tunni man from Barawa freed him. Gosha ex-slaves that escaped from Geledi Sultanate may have established a small enclave but it wasn't a Sultanate. I mean the Gosha ex-slaves didn't even own lands in Lower Jubba.

Heck, the ex-slaves even gained protection from Digil sub-clans in Lower Jubba just to allow their small enclave to exist. But what's interesting is most Gosha were still in fact enslaved.

Firstly, Rahanweyn lost a lot of lands in Jubbaland so showing me a map of their current territory is meaningless. Everybody knows about the Darood expansion against the weakened Geledi Sultanate. By the way, not only Dabarre were mentioned but Jiddu and Garre were also mentioned which are Digil sub-clans and last time I checked Digil are Rahanweyn who were part of the Geledi Sultanate.

This source tells you exactly that Geledi Sultanate and Bimaal Sultanate were competing for control in Lower Jubba meaning they had some form of governance there and it shouldn't be surprising since Rahanweyn sub-clans dominated Lower Jubba.

Nassib Bundo himself was a slave until a local Tunni man from Barawa freed him. Gosha ex-slaves that escaped from Geledi Sultanate may have established a small enclave but it wasn't a Sultanate. I mean the Gosha ex-slaves didn't even own lands in Lower Jubba.

Heck, the ex-slaves even gained protection from Digil sub-clans in Lower Jubba just to allow their small enclave to exist. But what's interesting is most Gosha were still in fact enslaved.

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Hogwash.

You seem to have missed where the Gosha defeated the combined Ogaden clans and had treaties with the British, etc. Mohammed Abdulle Hassan even sought Nassib Bundo as an ally.

"Around 1885 Nassib Bundo was recognized as the head of several villages. He established a "Sultanate Goshaland" as a political and military unit of several villages and was recognized by Zanzibar and later by the advancing European colonial powers as "Sultan". Using firearms acquired through trade with Zanzibar, the Gosha residents succeeded under his leadership to defeat the Ogadeni-Darod around 1890. These had previously traded with the former slaves, but also repeatedly invaded villages. On the other hand, he agreed with parts of the nomadic Somali clans of the Biimal and Sheekhaal to refrain from taking slaves who escaped from them in his villages; maybe he even refunded some of them.

To consolidate his power, Nassib Bundo combined Islamic and traditional African mysticism. In traditions he is said to have supernatural abilities, such as that he could use wild animals in his favor. So he is said to have sent the crocodiles of the Jubba River against his rivals within the Gosha, and he threatened heads of families who refused to give him their daughters into marriage. From the villages below, he is said to have demanded virgins as a tribute, moreover, he should have claimed a substantial part of the existing prosperity for themselves.

The colonial powers Great Britain and Italy, which invaded the area around 1890, both sought to secure Nassib Bundo's support by offering him a scholarship. However, Nassib Bundo remained suspicious of them and was keen to maintain his position within the Gosha. Around 1903, he allegedly had correspondence with Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, who led a rebellion against the colonizers in northern Somalia and sought allies in the south. After all, there were other Gosha leaders - including his own son - who complained to the Italians about his rule. Nassib Bundo was arrested and died in 1906 in a prison in Mogadishu of old age and disease [5] ".

"Around 1885 Nassib Bundo was recognized as the head of several villages. He established a "Sultanate Goshaland" as a political and military unit of several villages and was recognized by Zanzibar and later by the advancing European colonial powers as "Sultan". Using firearms acquired through trade with Zanzibar, the Gosha residents succeeded under his leadership to defeat the Ogadeni-Darod around 1890. These had previously traded with the former slaves, but also repeatedly invaded villages. On the other hand, he agreed with parts of the nomadic Somali clans of the Biimal and Sheekhaal to refrain from taking slaves who escaped from them in his villages; maybe he even refunded some of them.

To consolidate his power, Nassib Bundo combined Islamic and traditional African mysticism. In traditions he is said to have supernatural abilities, such as that he could use wild animals in his favor. So he is said to have sent the crocodiles of the Jubba River against his rivals within the Gosha, and he threatened heads of families who refused to give him their daughters into marriage. From the villages below, he is said to have demanded virgins as a tribute, moreover, he should have claimed a substantial part of the existing prosperity for themselves.

The colonial powers Great Britain and Italy, which invaded the area around 1890, both sought to secure Nassib Bundo's support by offering him a scholarship. However, Nassib Bundo remained suspicious of them and was keen to maintain his position within the Gosha. Around 1903, he allegedly had correspondence with Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, who led a rebellion against the colonizers in northern Somalia and sought allies in the south. After all, there were other Gosha leaders - including his own son - who complained to the Italians about his rule. Nassib Bundo was arrested and died in 1906 in a prison in Mogadishu of old age and disease [5] ".

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Did you edit that Wiki page? It has no reference number to it.

I didn't misread that sir. It says an oral tradition so you never know, Gosha probably made that up just to have some form of respect. Many oral traditions in Somalia is not true and I admit that. However, a Bantu having a Sultanate in southern Somalia is the most bizarre thing to say.

@nine Come in and educate him about this Darood expansion. He claims y'all got karbashed by ex-slave Bantus.

".........the Ogaden had by the mid-1870s reached the river Sabaki/Galana near Lamu on the coast, having forced the retreating Wardei to cross the river. While there, they marked tribal symbols on trees and deliberated on whether to settle or not. They finally decided not to settle around the Sabaki River because of tsetse fly which the Somali pastoralists feared would decimate their livestock and people.20 From this evidence one can conclude that the Warder w~re completely overwhelmed by the Ogaden expansion and that had it not been for the arrivdl of Imperial British East African Company rule in 1885, the Wardei would have ceased to exist as a community with a separate cultural and political identity.........."

Source: COLONIAL POLICIES AND THE FAILURE-~. OF SOMALI SECESSIONISM IN THE NORTHERN FRONTIER DISTRICT OF KENYA COLONY, c.1890-1968

"To the east the Somalis were once more on the move. After 1850 one of the Darod Somali groups, the Marehan crossed the Juba river in force. In 1865 they went on to break the Tana Galla and by 1880 had turned on the Boran. Pagan peoples in this region were now being dominated by Muslims, and peasants by nomads from the north."

".........the Ogaden had by the mid-1870s reached the river Sabaki/Galana near Lamu on the coast, having forced the retreating Wardei to cross the river. While there, they marked tribal symbols on trees and deliberated on whether to settle or not. They finally decided not to settle around the Sabaki River because of tsetse fly which the Somali pastoralists feared would decimate their livestock and people.20 From this evidence one can conclude that the Warder w~re completely overwhelmed by the Ogaden expansion and that had it not been for the arrivdl of Imperial British East African Company rule in 1885, the Wardei would have ceased to exist as a community with a separate cultural and political identity.........."

Source: COLONIAL POLICIES AND THE FAILURE-~. OF SOMALI SECESSIONISM IN THE NORTHERN FRONTIER DISTRICT OF KENYA COLONY, c.1890-1968

"To the east the Somalis were once more on the move. After 1850 one of the Darod Somali groups, the Marehan crossed the Juba river in force. In 1865 they went on to break the Tana Galla and by 1880 had turned on the Boran. Pagan peoples in this region were now being dominated by Muslims, and peasants by nomads from the north."

Source: The New Encyclopaedia Britannica Issue 1974

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Doesn't change anything. The Gosha beat the combined forces of the Ogaden in 1890 and kept them away from the Jubba. This only confirms the Oromo on the west bank after 1830. The Boni were the only competition for the Gosha within the gol.

Clan map circa 1977:

The Gosha is in pink. The Digil are in green. The Ogaden replace the Oromo on the west bank of the Jubba well after the initial settlement of the Gosha villages.

I didn't misread that sir. It says an oral tradition so you never know, Gosha probably made that up just to have some form of respect. Many oral traditions in Somalia is not true and I admit that. However, a Bantu having a Sultanate in southern Somalia is the most bizarre thing to say.

@nine Come in and educate him about this Darood expansion. He claims y'all got karbashed by ex-slave Bantus.

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I didn't edit anything. The article is in German, but has a translation feature. This is at least the third time I have posted that link for you. You just make stuff up, and then don't read the response.

".........the Ogaden had by the mid-1870s reached the river Sabaki/Galana near Lamu on the coast, having forced the retreating Wardei to cross the river. While there, they marked tribal symbols on trees and deliberated on whether to settle or not. They finally decided not to settle around the Sabaki River because of tsetse fly which the Somali pastoralists feared would decimate their livestock and people.20 From this evidence one can conclude that the Warder w~re completely overwhelmed by the Ogaden expansion and that had it not been for the arrivdl of Imperial British East African Company rule in 1885, the Wardei would have ceased to exist as a community with a separate cultural and political identity.........."

Source: COLONIAL POLICIES AND THE FAILURE-~. OF SOMALI SECESSIONISM IN THE NORTHERN FRONTIER DISTRICT OF KENYA COLONY, c.1890-1968

"To the east the Somalis were once more on the move. After 1850 one of the Darod Somali groups, the Marehan crossed the Juba river in force. In 1865 they went on to break the Tana Galla and by 1880 had turned on the Boran. Pagan peoples in this region were now being dominated by Muslims, and peasants by nomads from the north."

Source: The New Encyclopaedia Britannica Issue 1974

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Same situation as on the Jubba:

" They finally decided not to settle around the Sabaki River because of tsetse fly which the Somali pastoralists feared would decimate their livestock and people.20 "